The invention relates to a surgical instrument for treating female urinary incontinence.
Document WO-A-9606567 discloses a surgical incontinence device that allows for alleviating female urinary incontinence while restoring continence by attaching two curved needles to a tape that is intended to be permanently implanted into the tissue between the vaginal wall and the abdominal wall of a patient, thus strengthening the tissue required to restore the urinary continence.
The surgical instrument according to the present invention is an improvement over the instrument described hereinabove. More specifically, the surgical instrument comprises a tape that includes a netting enclosed by a thin plastic sheath such that insertion is facilitated while avoiding irritation or damage of body tissue. The surgical instrument further comprises a shank having a handle at one end thereof, and a curved needle-like element, which is constructed to be connected with the shank to form a curved portion.